AHFE Open AccessHuman Factors and Simulation
Editors: Julia Wright, Daniel Barber
Topics: Simulation and Modelling
Publication Date: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-964867-15-1
DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005017
Articles
Implementation Concept for Optimization Methods in Human-Robot Collaboration by using Full-Scope Simulation
Human-robot collaboration (HRC) is an emerging field that is revolutionizing efficiency and performance in production environments. A central point here is the integration of proven methods of process and quality management, which create the basis for optimized collaboration between humans and robots.In order to fully exploit the potential of this collaboration, established methods such as lean management, Six Sigma and PDCA cycle are being closely examined for their applicability in the context of HRC. These methods have already proven themselves in traditional production environments and could now form the basis for effective human-robot interaction.A fundamental aspect for the successful implementation of these methods is the creation of a realistic test environment. The full-scope simulator plays a crucial role here, as it provides an authentic environment for the research and development of human-robot collaboration. Numerous research projects have already benefited from the use of this simulator and have been able to gain new insights for HRC. A particular focus is on the development of a specific use case based on existing HRC systems in industry. This use case serves as a starting point for the further development and improvement of the interaction between humans and robots using process and quality management methods. The implementation and analysis of various methods in the context of this use case aims to increase performance and efficiency in production and assembly environments. A key objective here is to minimize production downtime and increase overall productivity at the same time.After thorough testing, the paper presents a comprehensive overview of the methods identified as particularly useful for improving the effectiveness of human-robot collaboration. This research contributes significantly to structuring the possibilities of HRC in production and assembly environments and provides a detailed list of methods specifically aimed at optimizing processes in these areas.The integration of process and quality management methods into HRC offers numerous advantages. For example, lean management enables the reduction of waste and efficiency production, while Six Sigma aims to minimize errors and improve process quality. The PDCA cycle supports continuous improvement. By specifically applying and adapting these methods to HRC, a more harmonious and effective collaboration between humans and robots can be achieved.The further exploration and integration of process and quality management methods into HRC not only promises increased productivity and efficiency, but also helps to improve the safety, reliability and quality of human-robot collaboration. The development and refinement of these methods in the context of HRC is therefore becoming an increasingly important facet of the modern production landscape.
Sumona Sen, Patrick Poetters
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Application of Digital Human Modelling and Factorial Experiments for Workstation Optimization
Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) empower manufacturing workstations by enabling ergonomic and safe working conditions for humans. To design successful HRC, operational and ergonomics aspects must be considered. In this paper, a new methodology is developed to identify factors that can impact physical workload of workers’ performance in a HRC environment. The proposed approach is based on Digital Human Modelling (DHM) and Factorial Design of Experiments. DHM enables to design and evaluate a large number of design configurations with respect to multiple performance measures. However, most of modelling tools focus on graphical aspects and fail to analyze the effect of interactions among different design parameters that play a significant role in the design of workstations. Factorial Experiments addresses these gaps by generating a set of alternative design configurations in a systematic manner. In this study, a HRC workstation design is simulated in JACK software. A set of controllable design parameters (input factors) that may influence the ergonomic risks are defined as number of cobots, task complexity, human's anthropometric characteristics (height and weight) and product features (weight and dimensions). Each factor has two levels as high and low. To reduce the number of runs fractional factorial design algorithm is applied and 32 experiments are generated by using different configurations of factors’ levels. Multi-objective optimization technique applied for five different performance measures that are characterized as cumulative compression, cumulative low back moment exposure on L4/L5, energy expenditure rate, RULA score and cycle time. Main and interaction effects of input factors on performance measures are discussed. The proposed methodology shows the advantages of combining DHM tools, and statistical design approaches such as Factorial Experiments.
Busra Yetkin, Berna Ulutas
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Rest-Frame Cueing for Cybersickness Mitigation in Virtual Reality Helicopter Flight Simulation
The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into flight simulation not only presents an opportunity to revolutionize flight crew training from an economical point of view, compared to conventional flight simulation methods. However, it also introduces challenges, such as an increased occurrence of cybersickness, potentially undermining the effectiveness of VR-based training. To optimize the benefits of VR, addressing the heightened likelihood of cybersickness is crucial. The most widely accepted theory for cybersickness attributes its emergence to a sensory conflict between visual inputs from the virtual environment and the motion sensed by the vestibular system The mitigation of this sensory conflict is considered an effective strategy for combating cybersickness. A potential method to dissolve this sensory conflict is to introduce a visual reference to the actual environment in the virtual environment, for which the resulting visual inputs correspond to the motion that is sensed in the actual environment. The presentation of such a visual reference in virtual environments, also referred to rest-frame cueing, is as such hypothesized to be an mitigation method for cybersickness, although the effectiveness of rest-frames on cybersickness mitigation is dependent on the precise manner in which the rest frame is cued to the operator. An example of how rest-frame cueing for cybersickness mitigation is through mixed reality (MR), in which the virtual environment is visually blended with the actual environment, which has shown promising results for the mitigation of cybersickness.However, it has also been found that while MR reduces cybersickness, it also leads to a decline in pilot performance in virtual environment flight training, attributed to reduced immersion and lower simulation fidelity. As an alternative, it is hypothesized that a visual grid in the virtual environment that is fixed to the orientation of the actual environment, also referred to as a Virtual Reference Grid (VRG), can be an effective alternative rest-frame cueing strategy that offers similar cybersickness reduction benefits as MR but may be more conducive to maintaining simulation fidelity. This study explores the effectiveness of a VRG as a form of rest-frame cueing on cybersickness mitigation, aiming to minimize cybersickness without compromising pilot performance. The effectiveness of a VRG in helicopter flight simulation for cybersickness mitigation and pilot performance was investigated by means of a human-in-the- loop experiment, featuring experienced helicopter pilots from the Royal Dutch Air Force. The experimental setup includes an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter flight model, low-fidelity flight controls, and the Varjo XR-3 visual device for rendering the virtual environment. A bespoke scenario, featuring the challenging ADS-33E-PRF pirouette Mission Task Element (MTE), serves as the backdrop for evaluating cybersickness and pilot performance metrics. Participants navigate three conditions: No Visual Reference, VRG Reference, and MR Reference. Post-trial, participants report their cybersickness levels using the Misery Scale (MISC), with measures in place to prevent excessive build-up between conditions.The results highlighted subtle differences in pilot performance, with the VRG rest-frame negatively affecting distance and heading control in the execution of the ADS-33 pirouette Mission Task Element (MTE). However, it was also observed that the performance degradation for distance control in the VRG Reference condition was less severe than in the MR Reference condition, suggesting that VRG rest-frame cueing may be less detrimental for certain aspects of pilot performance.The contrasting outcomes between MR and VRG rest-frame cueing emphasize the need for a deeper exploration of the role of cognitive processing of rest-frame cues for effective cybersickness mitigation. The study suggests that participants’ lack of cognitive awareness regarding the fixed nature of the VRG with respect to the actual environment contributed to its limited impact on mitigating cybersickness. This insight underscores the critical importance of effective design in rest frame cues for cybersickness mitigation in VR. In light of these findings, it is evident that designing rest-frame cues aligned with participants’ cognitive processes and enhancing their awareness of the virtual environment is crucial for the purpose of cybersickness mitigation and promoting pilot performance in VR helicopter flight simulation.
Boris Englebert, Guido Tillema, Lodewijck Foorthuis
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
The Relationship between the Individual Events within the U.S. Army’s Combat Fitness Test and a Simulated Marksmanship Performance Task
The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), the U.S. Army’s new physical fitness test, was introduced to assess operationally relevant combat physical fitness. The present study assessed the relationship between performance in the individual events of the ACFT and a simulated marksmanship task. Results indicate that higher ACFT scores align with better marksmanship lethality, mobility, and stability. Notably, upper body strength, explosiveness, and agility demonstrated significant positive associations with marksmanship effectiveness. However, nuances emerged, with some ACFT events showing mixed correlations with marksmanship metrics. Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between physical fitness and marksmanship proficiency, essential for optimizing military readiness. Overall, the presented results provide evidence that ACFT performance can provide valuable insight on Soldiers’ readiness beyond just physical fitness.
Jose Villa, Peioneti Lam, Stephanie Brown, Linda De Simone, Meghan O'donovan, Clifford Hancock, Wade Elmore, Seth Elkin Frankston, Victoria Bode, Blake Mitchell
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Identification of Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Behaviors to Predict Technological Fluency
In industry, academia, military, and the public sector, future operations will require humans to team with increasingly sophisticated and evolving technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). Critically, these future intelligent technologies will be required to adapt in-field to keep pace with competition and other emerging needs. As such, operators and leaders in these domains will require increased technological aptitudes and skills to leverage their expertise and creativity to work with and adapt these intelligent technologies. We refer to this aptitude as technological fluency (TF), or the ability of operators to use and rapidly adapt new and intelligent technologies without formal training on these systems. Knowing an individual’s level of TF can assist in staffing or team composition decisions and can inform where training efforts are likely to be most needed or fruitful. Technological fluency is a complex concept, however, so it is crucial to understand what sorts of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other behaviors (KSBs) are required for individuals to become technologically fluent. Here, we outline five preliminary categories of KSBs that we believe underlie technological fluency within human-technology interaction domains. Future efforts will aim to develop refined practical measures of TF and to test which KSBs are most predictive of TF across contexts.
Catherine Neubauer, Kimberly Pollard, Kyle Benbow, Ashley Rabin, Daniel Forester
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Quantitative Approach of Policy Drivers in Clean Energy Transition: Unveiling the Interconnected Pathway
As the global community grapples with the imperative of transitioning to clean energy sources, policymakers, utilities, and other stakeholders face the challenge of navigating a complex landscape of interrelated factors. The situation necessitates a comprehensive examination of the various factors, and the interaction of those factors, which shape the clean energy transition. This paper presents a quantitative approach to better understand clean energy transition, to uncover the critical pathways and variables at play. Drawing upon our experience in data analytics and computational modeling, this research delves into the intricate web of influences that impact the adoption and diffusion of clean energy technologies. We collect data from multiple sources, including Residential Energy Consumption Survey, and Pew’s American Trends Survey to drive insights. Policy levels including Inflation Reduction Act are analyzed, and simulations are conducted to test different scenario. Preliminary result indicates recipient of energy assistance policy for low-income households significantly predicts energy consumption, and solar panel installations. Viewing the transition to clean energy as part of an interconnected system, the paper offers insights into how interactions between key factors correlates with the adoption of clean energy, ultimately shedding light on the most effective policy strategies. The findings aim to provide policymakers, utilities, stakeholders, and researchers with a comprehensive understanding of the quantitative aspects of clean energy transition, facilitating informed decision-making in the pursuit of a sustainable energy future.
Zining Yang, Ruiqian Li
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Design Recommendations for Integrating AR in VR Environments within Defence Research
This paper utilises the methodology and discoveries of a recent Defence project as a case study to contemplate the potential implementation of augmented reality (AR) within a virtual reality (VR) environment in a Defence context. Doing so sheds light on the possible applications, advantages, obstacles, and prospects of such an integrated system. Additionally, it evaluates specific methodological and design recommendations to extend the effectiveness and inclusivity of the military training experience. These recommendations consider various factors, including interoperability, authenticity, environment fidelity, human-centred interface design, and user experience. This contribution is significant in the broader discourse surrounding utilising immersive technologies in the Defence industry, as it provides valuable guidance for researchers, developers, and military professionals.
Craig Williams, Hannah Blackford
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Mental workload: a prerequisite for future maintenance design
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2010) states that 15-20% of workplace accidents are maintenance-related, and 10-15% of these incidents result in fatalities. Due to the specialized expertise and knowledge required for this task, maintenance activities induce significant occupational stress (Sugiharto, 2019). Recognizing the necessity of evaluating physical workload becomes imperative for enhancing performance and working conditions, aiming at effective anthropocentric design (Bernard et al., 2021). However, this is not the only workload that operators experience. Mental workload can adversely affect maintenance activities, potentially leading to human errors and posing serious threats to complex system safety. The succession of maintenance tasks, whether simple or complex, demands mental resources such as decision-making, memory, and attention. The link between physical and mental workload exists within the activity, the individual and the surrounding environment with which he interacts (Causse, 2010). Taking into account Human Factors & Ergonomics (HFE) during the design cycle allows for the anticipation and optimization of interactions between operators and system components in terms of maintainability. Poorly executed studies on intrinsic or extrinsic equipment maintainability can generate human errors, which can affect performance and the safety of operators and systems. For this reason, anticipating the assessment of these dimensions makes collaboration with the design office more effective, so that HFE recommendations can be better taken into account during the design cycle. To this end, simulating maintenance tasks in an immersive environment, utilizing digital simulation tools (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality), and physical simulation (mock-up), encourages the exploration of the relationship between the user and the maintenance environment. However, in the field of maintainability, it seems that no certified method for measuring mental workload has yet been established. Multiple categories of measures exist to assess mental workload: subjective measures, objective measures of performance and physiological measures. Some categories provide a singular perspective on mental workload, while others offer a more detailed understanding of its dynamics (Cegarra & Chevalier, 2008). Optimizing the selection of mental workload measurement methods and associated tools requires consideration of the constraints of the maintenance activity. The combination of measurement methods is fundamental to understanding the origin, variations, and limitations of mental workload, ensuring a holistic understanding of participants' cognitive activities and facilitating interpretation.
Lorrys Berthon, Fabien Bernard, Sylvain Fleury, Raphael Paquin, Simon Richir
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Early-Stage Usability Testing of Thermal Power Dispatch Simulator Using Novice Operators
Flexible Plant Operations and Generation (FPOG) allow nuclear power plants (NPPs) to exploit alternative, non-electric revenue streams while ensuring their sustained role as dependable and environmentally friendly sources of baseload electrical power. The surplus thermal energy produced by NPPs during periods of low electricity demand can be directed to industrial processes through a thermal power dispatch (TPD) system such as high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) hydrogen production. Previous work at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) involved developing and implementing a TPD system. An early-stage test using students as operator surrogates (n=12) was conducted using a modified GSE Generic Pressurized Water Reactor (GPWR) simulator on a desktop computer display. The study is the first to evaluate the usability of the dual-train TPD design and operating procedures toward identifying HSI issues common to students and expert users. Participants completed a startup and shutdown scenario with the control system in a manual and auto-ramp mode for a 2x2 factor design. The qualitative data analysis identified issues within three themes: information display, perceptual organization, and procedural confusion. The most notable issues were the use of small font sizes, the non-salient nature of essential dynamic features, and the ineffective groupings of interface elements. Using student participants to identify usability issues at this early stage of the dual-train TPD development is a proactive and cost-effective approach that will enable a full-scope study using expert operators.
Olugbenga Gideon, Thomas Ulrich, Roger Lew, Benjamin Barton, Zethnouneay Dubois
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Visualizing Uncertain Real Time Threat Information in Augmented Reality Aided Target Recognition: Lessons Learned from Virtual Reality Simulation
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, and head-worn augmented reality (AR) technology are bringing the prospect of sophisticated aided target recognition (AiTR) systems from sci-fi to reality. Future AI algorithms could augment AiTR with real-time threat assessments (RTAs) that augment Soldier decision making by providing a binary threat assessment alongside an estimate of epistemic algorithmic uncertainty through the fusion and interpretation of multiple data sources. Yet, visual representations of probability are often misinterpreted, which could have consequences when relying on uncertain RTAs. To investigate, we designed simulated uncertain RTAs in virtual reality (VR) using emerging probabilistic visualization techniques, such as hypothetical outcome plots (HOPs; Hullman et al., 2015) and discrete-outcome framing (Franconeri et al., 2021), and quantified their impact on lethal force decision making. Specifically, we extended a VR decision making task from our previous work (Gardony et al., 2022; Frontiers in VR), in which participants categorized a Soldier target advancing towards them as friendly or enemy based upon their worn camouflage pattern, overlaying continuous- and discrete-outcome framed uncertain RTAs and introducing gamification elements to encourage rapid decision making. We found that when targets were easy to distinguish, participants were more conservative when categorizing targets as enemy vs. friendly, reflecting a learned decision-making heuristic. Importantly, under conditions of relatively low perceptibility (i.e., for far-away targets), our findings suggest trust in and reliance on RTAs increased, as evidenced by attenuated conservativity that deviated from the default heuristic. These findings contribute to the emerging literature on trust in AI and have implications for the design and deployment of effective military human-AI interfaces.
Aaron Gardony, Andrew Whitig, Kana Okano
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Integrating Experiential Simulation into Classroom Instruction with Synthetic Experience Events
The US Military still uses a traditional instructional model that typically employs didactic methods, limited periods of active practical application, and the study of two-dimensional content with sparse generalized testing. This model of instruction has shown to produce less learning outcomes than instructional models that use more active learning methods (Hake, R. 1998; Freeman, S., et.al 2013). In addition, traditional instructional methods are incapable of developing the most important level of knowledge for military occupations, which is tacit knowledge. Research sponsored by DARPA has focused on developing tacit knowledge, and exploiting the state of flow in military education and training, which reportedly has shown significant increases in learning and performance.Experiential learning is a philosophy and well-established model of learning that precedes today’s typical industrial-era based instructional methods. Experiential learning requires learners to participate and learn in real task experiences that not only enables the learning of more declarative and procedural knowledge but with the use of new technologies and content, can develop tacit knowledge as well.This paper will discuss a continuing learning engineering effort, first tested with the US Navy and now being researched by the US Army Development Command (DEVCOM), Soldier Center (SC), Synthetic Training Technology Center (STTC), called competency-based experiential learning (CBEL). The purpose of CBEL is to advance traditional classroom learning by incorporating experiential learning, modern neuroscience and learning science, and learning technologies that together we hypothesize will develop increased occupational performance through the development of increased tacit knowledge. We will discuss at a high-level how CBEL incorporates technologies like synthetic environments, adaptive instructional systems, and a form of content called experience events to form a new model of classroom instruction
Kevin Owens, Lisa Townsend, Benjamin Goldberg
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Usability Heuristic Review of an Intelligent Tutoring System Framework
The Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) is an open-source intelligent tutoring system framework software (Goldberg & Sinatra, 2023; Sottilare et al., 2017). GIFT can be used to create tutoring on a topic of the author’s choice, and does not require knowledge of programming to do so. The tutor can be primarily based on slideshows, or it can be more elaborate and include interactive simulations that are incorporated into the software. As GIFT is a research project, the development over the years has mostly been associated with the immediate feature needs to support specific projects. A heuristic review of GIFT’s Authoring tools was conducted and documented in 2016 (Ososky & Sottilare, 2016). However, there are a number of recent features, such as the data extraction tools that were designed for functionality, but have not recently gone through a usability heuristic review. This paper includes an overview of the GIFT data extraction interfaces, and through a usability heuristic review discusses if they align to traditional usability principles such as Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics (Nielsen, 1994). For those items and interface elements that are inconsistent with general usability principles, suggestions on how to improve them are provided and discussed. The lessons learned and discussed from this paper are applicable for those who are developing similar systems with usability in mind. References:Goldberg, B., & Sinatra, A. M. (2023). Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) SWOT analysis. In Design Recommendations for Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Volume 10-Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (pp. 9–26). US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center.Nielsen, J. (1994, April). Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 152-158).Sottilare, R. A., Brawner, K. W., Sinatra, A. M., & Johnston, J. H. (2017). An updated concept for a Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT). GIFTtutoring. org, 1-19.
Anne Sinatra
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings